Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-03-04
PEOPLE WHO STAMMER.
WHAT AN ELoCUTIONIsT SAYS OF
DEFECTS OF SPEECH.
lFrom the Washington Star.

neSltatOn,' lauN teacher ol cIocu'
tion who has had under her care
many young ladies and gentlemen
suffering with such defects of
speech, said to Star reporter,
"are due to the improper use OF the
vocal organs. Sometimes these
three defects are found together.
Stammering is the worst difficulty.
Sometimes stammering appears in
one form and sometimes in anOth-
er; in fact no two cases arepreclse-
ly alike. The worst prevalent in
flrmity-it is really an infrmity-
IS the wrong use of the lip, too
much lip yOu may say. Ion see a
face that might otherwise be hand
some, disfgured by habit of lift
ing the upper lip on one side so as
to show thecanine tooth. Another
infirmity is lack of proper control
over the movements OF the tongue.
No, not too loose a tongue. The
trouble is that the tongue is not
loose enough, not flexible enough.
Very few, even among educated
people, speak correctly, that is,
articulate English sounds correct
ly and speak pure English, and
yet the people in this country
speak better English than is spo-
ken in England.
NOT TO BIZ CURED BY DRUGS.
"Whenever any one announces
that he will cure stammerlng or
suffering by means ofartifcial ap-
pliances, or by some secret remedy,
or by drugs of any kind said the
lady, "you can set him down as a
quack. Drugs will no more cure
stamme ring than they will set a
limb, for really the cure Of stam-
mering comes very near being a
surgical operation, in a sense, be-
cause it is the restoration OF the
vocal organs to their proper tunc'
tions. The trouble is with the
tongue and the lips anG the closing
of the throat. These organs be-
come denatuIalized in their use. |
never take a case without having a
responsible physician first examine
the throat. After he pronOunces
the organs normal and in proper
condition for me to work, ! under
take the case. | have seldom had
a case IN which there was not some
work for the physician to do, for
the reason that the wrong use OF
the vocal organs caused them to
be diseased. Bronchitis and throat
diseases are in many cases due
to the wrong use OF the organs.
HOW CASES ARE TREATED.
"Ifa physician has examined a
case and authorized me to take
hold and commence my work ]
will insure n cure, provided the
student follows my directions sure
lY and persistently. Ninetenths
will depend upon himself, and yet
it would be almost a miracle ioT
one 10 cure himself without Judi
cious and intelligent directions and
training. have never had a case
that | did not help. Since cure
depends so much upon the student
himself and his cooperation with
me. have had some cases that
took a great deal longer than they
need to haye taken, and some that
I have worked with have not been
entirely satisfactory to me, but the
majority have been entirely salts
factory. There are a great many
in Washington who have been
cured. The very best circumstance
under which the student could be
treated is 10 have him leave all oI
his past surroundings to get rid OI
every mental picture, for this WORK
is mental on the part of the stu
dent, and put himself entirely IN
der my care. Ihave some in my
family now. can no more tell
how long it will take a bone to
knit or teacher of music how long
it will take pupil to master the
five.fnger exercise. The princI
pies can be taught in few lessons
After that there is need only OF in
telligent direction.
MORAL AS WELL AS PHYSICAL.
"The cure" she went on, sis
within the PERSONS self, and de
pends upon his moral as well as
physical nature. You must lift NJ
his moral nature. Most of those
who suffer from the defects you
will notice are lOOse.kneed and
walk with sbambling gait, with
heads down, all the effect Of thl'
infirmity. The first thing try tC
do is to lift the person mp, to make
HIM free, for this moral nature
dominates his physical. My sys
TEN is simple, philosophical and
highly moral in It's nature. NJ
youth can possibly pass through II
without having his moral as wei
as physical self benefited. All suf
ferers from these defects are ex
ceedingly sensitive, one Of the re
suits of their inflrmity. To a per
son of culture and refinement sucl
an inflrmity is more terrible.
THE CAUSE OF sTAMMERING.
at il almost impossible to know